It is always interesting to read other people’s thoughts about the country in which you live. You usually find the things that matter most to you, often the things that others find least interesting. Or put another way, the things you take for granted; those things that you live with every day, and often never think twice about unless you have to, are precisely the things that others find most fascinating.
Things like the kangaroo, platypus, koalas, wombats, and echidnas just for starters. Then there are some of the deadliest snakes on the planet, sharks, freshwater crocodiles, funnel-web spiders, box jellyfish, and the blue-ringed octopus.
The other joy is discovering the wealth of interesting information that writers like Bryson can discover during their research, which they then include in their books.
For example, until I read ‘Down Under,’ I didn’t know that the Simpson Desert was named, in either 1929 or 1932, depending on which source you choose, after Alfred Simpson, a manufacturer of washing machines. What what? Apparently Simpson funded an aerial survey of the area and named the desert after him as a result!
Thanks Bill, I will never look at my old Simpson washing machine the same way again.
Good writers also note odd quirks that the locals have long forgotten or just don’t ‘see’ anymore. Like when Bryson writes:
“Two of the greatest explorers of the 19th century were called Sturt and Stuart and their names are all over the place too, so you constantly have to stop and think, usually at busy intersections where an instant decision is required: ‘Now do it.'” Do I want the Sturt Highway or the Stuart Highway? Since both highways start in Adelaide and end at places 3,994 kilometers apart, this can make all the difference, believe me.”
You are right, of course. And since I live in Adelaide myself, I need to make a mental note of that to make sure I don’t end up in Alice Springs the next time I want to drive to Sydney.
I was delighted to discover that Bill Bryson and I share a common interest, and that is the habit we both have of buying the local newspaper for whatever city or community we pass through. As Bryson says:
“What a comfort it is to find a nation preoccupied with issues of no possible consequence to oneself. I love reading about scandals involving ministers I’ve never heard of, murder hunts in communities whose names sound dusty and remote, news reports about revered artists and thinkers whose achievements have never reached my ears, whose talents I must take on faith.”
One of the things that Bill Bryson stands out for is the humor he brings to his writing. He seems to have the ability to see the funny side of a nation’s many quirks and foibles, and Australia is no different. His description of listening to a cricket match as he drove from Sydney to Adelaide is one of the funniest I’ve ever read.
I won’t try to quote from the book as that would spoil the fun for you, if you haven’t read Down Under yet. Suffice to say, I had to put the book down because I was laughing uncontrollably.
Bill Bryson was born in Des Moines, Iowa, and after living for many years in Great Britain with his English wife and four children, he returned to the United States. He is the best selling author of ‘The Lost Continent’, ‘Made in America’, ‘A Walk in the Woods’ and many other great travel books.
If you haven’t read Bryson’s Down Under, you should put it on your reading list now. Even though it was published in the year 2000, it has never been out of print, so you won’t have any trouble finding a copy, whether it’s at your local bookstore, online store of your choice, or good second-hand booksellers. hand.